Post Half Running

Since I've been home in Arlington, with the wonderful tracks-to-trails program, I've been trying to get back out and run. Post half marathon has been really hard. I took a week off, and then the next two weeks were dead week and finals. I ran twice during dead week, none during finals. Cluster of waaayyy too much work and I really needed sleep before I needed running.

Now that I'm home I've run twice, once just to get out and jog around Arlington, a leisurely 3.5 miles in the awful awful wind that has gripped this small county/city.  I took a day off and then the day after, the day I had PLANNED on running, the wind was insane. I mean 30+MPH gusts of wind.  I don't mind the cold, really I don't. I do better in the cold, but the wind? I can't BREATHE in the wind. It takes my breath away, it's awful. So I held off till the next day (Christmas Eve) , hoping for better weather. Only to wake up to my house sounding like it was going to fall over due to the wind. 

After going out and running errands that morning...which by the way no one should go out and buy anything on christmas eve. I almost screamed while in Harris Teeter. 

Anyway After errands, putting my gingerbread hosue together with royal icing (omg SUGAR DEATH) and making a pumpkin pie with the fam I went out for a run.

I wanted to put in 6 miles but put in 5.5 instead. It was glorious. Wasn't too cold, no real wind, my brooks shoes are still being awesome and I was surprised at how good I felt with so little running since my half.  

I'm a little achey today, my hip flexors and abductors (eh?) feel rough but otherwise my body is bouncing back wonderfully.   I had a hard time for a bit. Thinking I wouldn't want to get back into the swing after finals. I felt lazy, tired...just wanted to sit around all the time. Weak from a hard semester. 

Well I've finally rested enough. I'm back to craving runs. 

Excited to go out tomorrow and use my NEW GARMIN! 

I've been borrowing my boyfriend's long-term style but now that he's bought a road bike he's going to need his back and my parents got me my own!

SO excited! 

Hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday.

Run Happy Y'all! 

Oh hey the south IS warmer.

So yesterday I left Atlanta at 7am and made it here a little before 4pm.  SUB NINE HOURS. Thea and I should have totally gotten a ticket somewhere because that's just ridiculous.

My knees are a little achey from the drive, man saying that makes me feel old, but it's glorious to be home. I slept for 10 whole hours last night. Passed out at 9:30 and had my loving huge dogs wake me up at 7:30.  I have all my cold weather running gear laid out for a run today just haven't decided when. I think I should just go early/soon.  I'm waiting for the sun to finish coming up.  

I struggle with winter because I'm such a morning runner but it's so much colder in the morning!

Oh and so much colder when you travel 500+ miles north of your original running area.  It's 44 in atlanta, it's feels like 18 here in Arlington.  

EH??

Well I'm off to finish my coffee and don my running apparel so that I can bake with the family all this afternoon.  

Oh baking...this is going to certainly be a struggle of a holiday when it comes to sweets.

Half or Half-assed?

Yesterday I was on the phone with my mom and mentioned coming home for Thanksgiving and that we needed to buy plane tickets. Her response "well aren't you going home with the BF?" (she doesn't say BF I just keep confidentiality here). 

Me:" errr well I can?"

Mom: "well I mean you'll be back 3 weeks after that...It's no big deal and I'm sure you'll be fine with the BF's family."

Well damn thanks mom.

This whole time I've been dreaming of baking with my sister and hanging out with my dogs and seeing Arlington and DC in their gorgeous fall colors and now guess not.

I was also looking forward to getting perpetually tipsy with my mother via mimosas at breakfast beer at lunch and wine at dinner/desserts. But hey, here's to hoping. 

So I'm staying here and going to the BF's for Turkey Day. No biggy. 

Actually this opens up a good opportunity that I'm going to sit on for a while. Atlanta Track Club's half marathon on Thanksgiving Morning. I have till October 31st till the application fee goes up again but It's going to be brooding in my head for a while. I'm nervous to set a bar so high. It's high for me at least. 13.1 miles?? Just walking around for 2 hours  makes me tired.

Damn. 

So I'll be working on that decision for a while.

Good things from today: I'm an official card-carrying member of ASME now. Sticker went on my nalgene and EVERYTHING.

I also have a 4.3 mi trail race on Saturday! In the middle-of-bumble-fuck-Georgia. Fingers crossed it goes well. Poor BF will be running the 10+ mile race and...well...he's going to hurt Saturday afternoon.

Just have to get through some tests first. Here's to a good week! Cheer y'all.

Home Sweet Home: Artery Clogging.

Long time no post.

I'm finally home, in Virginia, after a nice little 9+ hour drive with the BF. We averaged 80mph and were sans-cops the whooollle time. It was great.  Lots of chatting, dancing, generally just being happy to not be in school.

And now, I'm home. After 24 hours here I remember why I absolutely love it here but can only really be here a week.  The food is amazing, boutiful, and there's always a dessert. I just cannot help myself. I'm almost never home! 

It helps that I'm allowed to eat this much since the first thing my father said to me was "have you been eating??" as he hugged me and called me a stick figure. 

I ran before my this past Thursday, probably a little under four miles. It was...rough.

Ross talked to me last Saturday about a "shovel" on our run around Chickamunga (err?) Battlefield. We were both kinda struggling, I was cramping really bad and was at the end of my 17 mile week, and he started being all coach-y on me. Trying to relate running to swimming..

Ross: "you know those rough days, when you're in a distance practice, and you've already been swimming forever and you're not sure if you can make it.You're already in so much pain and you don't know if you can go further."

Me: *huff,puff,die* "yeah"

BF: "Well those are the days you have to pull out your shovel. You have to dig for the motivation."

Me: *glaring* "alright, I'm digging"

BF: "Some days, you dig and dig and you just don't see it, but you have to keep digging."

Me: "Can I have some water?" (he carry's my water for me, what a good BF)

Anyway, I really liked what he was saying to me. It's very true. Some days you wonder, why the hell am I doing this? And then dig a little and you find your motivation. Some days though, you dig forever and you end up digging the whole time.  This past Thursday, I think I left my shovel at home. I'm not sure if it was because I had a final that day, or because I've been trying to rest my legs so I don't get injured (lots of pain lately, not good) but I was not in it.  I didn't want to be out there, not one bit. 

I always want to go run, seriously. It could be a planned run at 6am and I usually want to go run, I love it. But the past few runs, not so much.

It sucks, but sometimes, you just have to take a break. If you don't want to run, it's not worth it. It's lazy, it's unproductive, it's just not worth the time.  When I run I want to be putting in work. 

Always carry a spare shovel. 

Eventually, you have to just get back in the groove.  It's time. So tomorrow, I'm digging the shoes out and I'm going to try and clear out some of the artery passageways that I've clogged in 24 hours at home and run around my hometown with the BF.

Happy Running!